Hate Crimes Defined

By
Law Offices of Virginia L. Landry, Inc.
|July 14, 2017

Traditionally,
hate crimes referred to crimes where perpetrators acted out against a victim because
of his or her race, religion, or nation of origin. However, today’s
definition of hate crime is broader. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines a hate crime as a “traditional offense like
murder,
arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias.”

Today, the FBI has defined hate crimes as an offense against a person or
property due to the offender’s bias against any of the following:

A person’s race

A person’s religion

A person’s gender

A person’s sexual orientation

A person’s ethnicity

A person’s gender identify

The FBI has been investigating hate crimes in the United States since World
War I. Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, the FBI’s
role in investigating and fighting hate crimes has only increased. While
most hate crimes are investigated on the local and state levels, the FBI
continues to help local and state agencies combat hate crimes throughout
the nation.

Here are some ways the FBI helps fight hate crime:

If someone violates a federal civil rights statute, the FBI is the main
agency in charge of investigating the violation.

The FBI offers its assistance to local and state authorities, even when
the perpetrators are not prosecuted in federal court.

Most of the FBI’s field offices assist local Hate Crime Working Groups
by helping them address local hate crime issues.

The FBI offers hundreds of workshops, seminars, and training sessions each
year for community groups, religious organizations, and law enforcement
agencies to reduce hate crimes and civil rights abuses.

The FBI has partnered with a number of local civil rights organizations
to share information, address problems, and find solutions. Some of these
organizations include the American-Arab Discrimination Committee, the
Anti-Defamation League, the Asian American Justice Center, and the National
Organization for Women among others.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.